Car Review: 2004 Audi S4 Cabriolet

2004 Audi S4 Cabrio

Handout, Audi

by
David Booth, Canwest News Service | August 10, 2011

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LAS VEGAS – In another era, this would have been Audi’s sportiest car. During automobile racing’s glory days, racers wore leather helmets, a black T-shirt was considered a racing suit and Formula One greats such as Tazio Nuvolari and Stirling Moss won races on sheer guts and determination rather than on precise calculations of when their competitors would be heading into the pits.

And if you wanted the best sports car a company made, you didn’t get one with a roof. Jaguar XK120s were the quickest things over a twisty ribbon of road; Ferrari’s first production road race car, the 166, barely had a windscreen never mind a hardtop; and the car that changed North America — Porsche’s diminutive Speedster — was the quintessential sports car of the ’50s.

Somewhere along the line, however, automotive engineers figured out that the rigidity offered by an integrated hardtop far outweighed the benefits of wind blowing through your hair — chassis rigidity is the holy grail of modern sports car engineering. Much like an egg that’s had part of its shell lopped off, any car with its roof surgically removed is bound to be weaker than its fully enclosed sibling.

This is why the hardtop Z06 Corvette, and not the convertible, is Chevy’s most potent sports car. This is why Jag’s XKR convertible may make a excellent boulevardier, but can’t hold a candle to its coupe cousin on a twisty road. It’s why Audi’s TT Roadster is nowhere near the car the hardtop is.

In recent years, though, there has been something of a reversal of this trend, spurred by BMW’s release of a Cabriolet version of its mega-potent M3. No one with even a hint of automotive knowledge would mistake the M3 for anything other than a road weapon, with its highly strung motor, taut chassis and unrelenting dedication to driving fast.

So when M GmbH says that a convertible can be a no-excuses-offered sporting automobile, you listen.

Especially if you are Audi, who makes no bones about its envy for Bayerische Motoren Werke (see Motor Mouth, page DO9). So after turning sedan and wagon versions of its S4 loose on Canadian streets, it is making its power-packed compact available in a convertible format.

There is absolutely no question the S4 Cabriolet has the numbers to claim a sporting pedigree. Wedging a 4.2-litre DOHC V8 into the A4- derived body is assuredly a quick route to high performance.

There is 340 horsepower on tap at a heady 7,000 rpm and 302 pound-feet of torque at a much lower 3,500 rpm. Zero to 100 kilometres an hour takes six seconds and, were it not electronically governed, the S4 Cabriolet’s top speed would challenge even autobahn limits.

The numbers don’t lie. Acceleration is brisk to say the least, especially if one keeps the revs up. Although Audi claims that max torque occurs at only 3,500 rpm, this is one big-displacement V8 that prefers to rev. It’s happiest above 4,000 rpm and really comes into its own at five grand. And, unlike other big blocks, it is anxious to rev, remaining silky smooth all the way to redline.

All of this means the six-speed manual gets a thorough workout — unless, of course, you just leave it in fourth as I did and let it sing all the way to seven grand at every opportunity. Of course, that eats a bunch of gas, so shifting into sixth is recommended. But damn, that motor sounds sweet. There is also a six-speed Tiptronic automatic available for an extra $1,600 (the base S4 Cabriolet with manual already retails for a heady $81,350), but this is one car that truly deserves a manual gearbox.

The one caveat to all this goodness is that the Cabriolet’s performance would be even more captivating if it didn’t weigh quite so much. Thanks to all the reinforcements required to strengthen the chassis (such as diagonal struts under the body and additional gussetting around the steering column), the convertible, at 1,860 kilograms, weighs 125 kg more than the sedan. That is almost as much as some SUVs and also 145 kg more than the M3 Cabriolet, which explains why the BMW is almost a half-second faster to 100 klicks despite seven less horsepower.

The extra weight isn’t necessarily all bad news, though. Much of the extra avoirdupois comes from Audi’s lauded quattro all-wheel-drive system, which not only makes the S4 much more livable in winter driving, but also quicker on a wet, twisty road.

In the dry, the S4 Cabriolet will still have to defer to the Bimmer, though not by much. At its limits, some understeer creeps in and body roll is noticeable. That said, the S4 is far superior to 99% of the cars on the road and more than enough for even sporty rides on country roads. Besides, the S4’s ride won’t knock your fillings out like some sportier cars’ suspensions.

In fact, what makes the S4 superlative is its combination of excellent performance and incredible civility. This is one of the quietest convertibles on the road — with the top up or down. Even at supra-legal speeds, wind noise is well muted and conversations need not attain Metallica decibel levels. Be warned, however, that you should not get into a drop-the-top speed contest with any Mercedes. The S4 is fairly leisurely about stowing its canvas. The top’s rear window, though, is heated, an advantage sure to be appreciated in the winter.

The seats are coddling and, in Canada, heated. The interior’s fit and finish, as in all Audis, is superb. The trunk is relatively spacious even with the top down and were it not for the somewhat tight rear seats, the S4’s accommodations would be perfect.

All this adds up to the S4 Cabriolet now being my favourite Audi, save, perhaps, the new A8L. Audi has set lofty goals for itself. With cars such as the S4 Cabriolet, it’s well on its way to achieving them.